MATCH INFO

Germany gains first tournament victory

Germany's players celebrate their first victory of the tournament.

Niterói, Brazil, August 5, 2011 – After being the last in their group in the first round of FIVB Volleyball Men´s Junior World Championship 2011 in Rio de Janeiro, Germany came to the Caio Martins gymnasium and won their first match of the competition, against Puerto Rico, 3 -0 (25-14, 25-22, 32-34, 25-12) in the first evening match on Friday.

Germany opens Pool H play with a 1-0 record and is 1-3 overall. Puerto Rico is 0-1 and 0-4.

Germany led Puerto Rico in attacks (46-40) and blocks (17-10) while the teams were tied in service aces 7-7. Puerto Rico was hurt by 37 team errors while Germany committed 25.

Gemany team captain Bjorn Hohne led all scorers with 20 points on a match-high 15 attacks, four blocks and one service ace. Paul Sprung added 18 points on 12 spikes two blocks and a match-high four aces.

Ricardo Archilla led Puerto Rico with 17 points on 14 spikes, two blocks and one ace. Steven Morales added 14 points on 13 spikes and one ace.

Germany took a 17-3 lead in the first set, scoring 12 straight points off the serve of Paul Sprung, who had three aces in the run, and it seemed the set would be a rout. But Puerto Rico gained its footing and with Germany leading 18-4, Puerto Rico scored three straight points off a German error and two straight aces by Javier Perez. Germany reached set point at 24-10, but allowed Puerto Rico to score four straight points, including an ace and spike by Morales, before Germany won the set with a double block from Sprung and Till Theioen. Puerto Rico led in spikes 7-6, but Germany led in blocks, 8-1 and in aces, 5-3. Morales scored eight points in the set for Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico’s momentum carried into the second set as it took an 8-2 lead at the first TTO, including two attacks and an ace by Ricardo Archilla. With Puerto Rico leading 9-3, Puerto Rico served out of bounds and Germany score three more straight points to pull to within two. With Puerto Rico leading 11-9, Germany went on another run, scoring four straight, including attacks from Bjorn Hohne and Sprung to lead 13-11. Germany was leading 23-17 when Puerto Rico made another run, , scoring three straight points on a block by Archilla and two Germany errors. Hohne used an attack to give Germany set point. But Puerto Rico scored on two straight attacks before Sprung could end it with a spike.

Germany held an 8-7 lead in the third set and built it to 13-9. But with Germany leading 14-10, Puerto Rico scored on Germany’s net violation and Noah Marrero was brought in to serve for Morales. Marrero served for the next seven points, including an ace, to give Puerto Rico an 18-14 lead. Germany came back and Puerto Rico reached set point at 24-21, but Germany scored three points to tie it and a fourth on a block by Oswald to reach match point at 25-24. This time Puerto Rico tied with a spike and used another to take set point at 26-25. Puerto Rico would fight off five more German match points while Germany fought off one Puerto Rico set point before the Caribbean nation took its third set point at 33-32 on Jose Ribas’ block and won the set on a block from Archilla.

Germany took advantage of Puerto Rico mistakes in the fourth set and took an 8-5 lead at the first TTO of the fourth set and extended it to 16-8 at the second before rolling to the set and match victory.